Play of Fate [COMPLETED]

Chapter 22

"RJ!"

"RJ!"

"RJ, ano ba!"

RJ's head snaps up when the blaring music he is listening to was replaced with the noisy chatter of the students around him. Annoyed, he glares at the person in front of him, not even caring that its his girlfriend who removed his earphones.

"Ano bang problema mo." He asks and yanks the earphones out of her hands.

"Kanina pa kita tinatawag, hindi mo man lang ako pinapansin." She answers. "Ano bang nangyayari sa'yo."

"Lou, you just pulled my earphones off my ears, I guess that alone is an explanation why." He says and rolls his eyes. He is not in the mood today and her whining is making him more annoyed. "Wala akong oras makipag away sa'yo. I'm busy, in case you haven't noticed." He continues icily, gesturing to the pile of readings in front of him. RJ returns to his readings and places his earphones back to shut the unnecessary buzz around him. Louise didn't respond to him, and instead, stares at him intently. Feeling her piercing stares, RJ breathes a long sigh and lifted his to look at her.

Just so you know, Louise is the most stubborn person you'll probably meet in your lifetime. She doesn't go down without getting what she wants - no matter how unreasonable it is. And you'll never see her surrender, you'll never see her admit defeat, you'll never hear her take fault, and you will never see her cry. For her, doing all those things make you inferior, weak, and that is something she never wants to be labeled with.

But today is different. And this shocked RJ. Because right now, Louise is silently crying, tears abundantly flowing from her eyes down her cheeks. Unbelieving of what he's seeing, RJ removes his earphones and reaches out for her hand, gently rubbing it with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" He asks, feeling guilty.

"You've been different. I don't know if something happened with you, or the two of us, that I don't know of, but you've been acting different the past month." Louise says, still crying. "You know me, RJ. As much as possible I don't want you seeing me like this but... This, you, have been bugging me. Tell me, may problema ba tayo?" She asks, looking right through his eyes.

RJ felt his heart constrict while listening to her. Just like his friends and siblings, she too has noticed the changes in his demeanor. He never wanted for them to be affected, but he guesses that he's been so lost in his own bubble that he completely forgot that there still are people around him.

"I'm sorry." He quietly says, head bowed down because he cannot take seeing someone hurting because of him. Again.

"It's Maine, isn't it?" She asks. Gone is the venom that is usually in her voice when she speaks her name. RJ heard the hint of sadness and understanding and accusation in her question that made him look at her again. Louise looks different. There's no longer anger in her eyes unlike before when they talk about Maine or when she sees Maine. Her face is pained, her eyes sad.

"What do you mean?" He asks. He is still holding her hand. He squeezed it lightly in an attempt to comfort her. Louise stared at their hands and a sad smile crept up her face.

"You still love her." She says. RJ's eyes widened at this, disbelief written in his handsome face. "What?" He asks.

"Why do you think I hate her? You're famous, RJ, and naturally, people gossip about you - your hobbies, your favorites, your friends, and the girls you've been with. People who actually care have been saying that you and the only girl in your group are an item. That you and Maine have been secretly dating. Alam mo ba na relationship goals daw kayo because you were bestfriends turn to lovers. Na ang cool daw na despite Maine's boyish acts, someone as good looking as you fell for her. I've heard all of that kasi, duh, sobrang crush ka ng kapatid ko. So imagine my shock when you introduced yourself to me and asked me out. I wanted to confront you about Maine right there and then because I didn't want to ruin a relationship, I didn't want to be a part of something messy. But before I could do that, you introduced me to your friends, telling me that you've been all together since you were kids and that they're practically your siblings. That was when I realized that your closeness with Maine was misinterpreted. Na kalma pa ko n'un e. I believed you when you say you were just friends, even though I felt and I know that Maine doesn't see you the same way. That's why I hate her, because I know she likes you, heck, loves you. And I hated her more when I realized that despite telling me and the whole world that you are just friends, you also don't see her that way. Don't give me that look. I see how you look at her, and you've never looked at me that way." She explains. The Louise in front of him is very different from the Louise that he's known. She looks so vulnerable, so far from her usual fierce facade.

"Lou..."

"RJ, I'll ask you this once. And I'll never give you this chance again so please, make sure that whatever answer you give me, you mean it and you can stand by it." Louise reaches for his other hand. "Choose. Me or Maine?"

Her question came as a surprise. This is her way of saying that she is willing to sacrifice for him, for her, for them. Knowing that the person you love loves someone that is not you is painful, but to fight for something that is never supposed to exist is devastating. Louise loves him, more than she loved anyone else, and if it was just up to her, she will never let him go. She will hold on to what little thing they have, and hope that maybe, someday, she'll get the equal amount of love that she is giving him. But she loves him too much to cage him in a relationship that he is not happy to be in. So if he chooses Maine, she will let go and walk away from him chin held high.

"I don't know." He says. RJ felt his eyes sting, eyesight blurred with tears pooling in his eyes. He's been wanting to do this ever since Jerald and Sam told him that Maine does not want to see or talk to him yet. He wanted so bad to cry the choking pain out. But he couldn't, as if his body is making him suffer for the pain he's caused his friend.

"Alam mo, just the fact that you said that means that you do know. You're in a relationship with me and yet you do not know who you'll choose. That's something, RJ. Something that you do not want to recognize."

"I'm scared. Of hurting you. Of losing you."

"RJ, in all honesty, you're hurting me now. And I'm sure, Maine is feeling the same way. But I'm still here, I just don't know if Maine is." She says, stating the obvious fact that has been dancing in front of him. He wants to throw a fit, tear up all the papers in front of him, punch or kick a tree, and curse at everyone around him who looks at him as if they understand what he's going through. But he could not. And he wouldn't. Because everything that is happening now is his fault.

"I'm sorry, Lou. I never wanted this to happen." He says.

"I know. I should have walked away months ago when I realized that it was never me, that it will never be me. But I'm stubborn. Look where it brought me." Louise says and smiled. The sadness was still there, but Louise is now looking at him tenderly, as if telling him that she understands. She wiped her tears and grabbed her bag before standing up. She walks towards him and kisses the top of his head before cupping his cheeks. "Do what you should. 'Wag mong sayangin ang heroic act ko. Go after her." She says. Louise kissed him on the lips for the last time before she walks away. RJ watches her retreating back, heart feeling lighter. When she was a few feet away, Louise turned to him again. "Be happy, RJ. Be genuinely happy." She says and waves at him.

--

RJ is on his bed, staring at his ceiling, when his door suddenly opened and his twin brother came rushing in. He sat beside him, eyeing him.

"Anong kailangan mo?" He asks.

"I saw Lou today. She was...calm, for the lack of a better word. Anong nangyari sa inyo?" Jake says.

"May nangyari agad agad? Hindi ba pwedeng..."

"Hindi. I've somehow learned how Louise is and she is never the way I saw her earlier." He says.

RJ looks at his brother and back to the ceiling, making him more curious. "Ano nga!!" Jake asks, punching him on the shoulder. Feeling the pain, RJ sat up and smacks his head. "Bastos mas matanda ako sa'yo!" He says and smacks RJ's head too.

Rubbing his head, RJ slumps back down his bed and sighed. Jake lay next to him, waiting for his explanation. "Wala na kami." RJ suddenly says, making Jake sit up. "Ano ulit?!" He asks. "We broke up earlier. Apparently, she too knows how Maine feels and she thinks I feel the same way. I'm still not sure how you guys know, and I don't." RJ says. A smile formed in his lips and he looks at the white ceiling above because he saw Maine's face in his head. "E kasi tanga ka." Jake says, not looking at him as he is busy with his phone. RJ tried to push his brother off the bed but he was too strong that he's able to resist the force his brother is exerting.

"Hello? Sam, saan ka? Punta kang bahay, may emergency. Oo. Natauhan na si Tisoy. Sama mo si Je. Sige sige, see you later." Jake says on the phone, grinning at his brother who's now looking at him. Jake ends the call and pats his brothers stomach before standing up. "Punta sina Sam. Meeting tayo. Panahon na para kumilos kilos ka." Jake says and left him alone, smiling like an idiot at the idea of what is to happen in the next days.